Weighted wrist cuff exerciser



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A'r'roxzNay United States Patent 3,301,552 WEIGHTED WRIST CUFF EXERCISERMary G. S. Ryan, 15 Victory Road, Dorchester, Mass. 02122 Filed Oct. 9,1963, Ser. No. 315,095 7 Claims. (Cl. 272-80) The invention describedherein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates generally to improvements in rehabilitationdevices for incapacitated patients.

The invention relates more specifically to improvements inrehabilitation devices for patients partially incapacitated in the useof their arms for eating and drinking. This device enables a person wholacks the normal strength of arms and hands to lift, lower, manipulate,and control utensils and food in order to eat or dirn'k without theassistance of an attendant. Further, this invention trains and exercisesthe patient while eating.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a device which willallow partially incapacitated patients to eat and drink withoutassistance.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds, and the features of novelty will be pointed out withparticularity in the course of the following description and in theappending claims.

The figure discloses an embodiment of the invention assembled andattached to the arm of a wheel chair and supporting the hand of apatient holding a utensil.

Referring to the figure, the invention consists of a conduit 1 havingone end terminating in an are 2 and a straight portion 3 rotatablytelescoped within a larger portion of hollow pipe 4 secured to the arm 5of a wheel chair. A threaded screw 6 through a hole in the outer hollowpipe 4 is tightened to secure the conduit 1 at the desired position. Alength of wire rope 7, spliced at both ends, is secured at one end to acounterbalance 8 within the conduit 1 and the other end of the wire rope7 is attached to the disabled arm 9 of a patient by means of a hook 10and wrist cuff 11.

The counterbalance 8 of the device is adjusted in weight by adding ortaking away portions of string lead, as needed, to or from thecounterbalance in order to enable the patient to raise his arm fromtable to mouth or stop at any point in the vertical range of motion toperform the desired activity.

The cuff '11 is of leather with a hooking means to secure it about thewrist of the patient. It is adjustable so that it can be made to fitvarious wrist sizes The cuff 11 is provided with an eye 12 to which thehook 10 is secured.

The device functions as follows. The device is attached to the patientswheel chair by insert-ing the conduit 1 into the hollow pipe 4 mountedon the arm 5 of the wheel chair. The device may be adjustably mounted toconform to the shoulder height of the individual patient. Tightening thescrew 6 in the outer pipe 4 will hold the conduit firmly at the desiredelevation. The counterbalance 8 may then be adjusted in weight by addingor taking away string lead to enable the patient to raise and lower hisarm 3,301,552 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 ice and hand holding the utensilswith which he may eat and drink.

Thus the patient may eat and drink without the assistance of anattendant who need only be present to make the necessary adjustments inthe mounting of the device.

It is understood that this invention is not necessarily limited to thecomponents and arrangemetns described, but that various modifications,changes and substitutions may be made therein without departing from thescope and intent of the invention as defined by the specification andclaims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A device for use by persons lac-king normal strength in their armsand hands to assist them to eat or drink or perform other similaroperations requiring vertical movement of the arm, comprising:

(a) cult means adapted to fit about the wrist of the user;

(b) counterbalance means of suitable weight to counterbalance the weightof the users arm and hand to assist the user in his arm and hand;

(0) connecting means connecting the counterbalance means and cufr means;and

(d) an upright conduit means having a smoothly curved free end facingdownwardly and the remainder of said conduit means being straight, saidconnecting means extending in said conduit means.

2. The device of claim 1 and in combination therewith a holding meansadapted to support said conduit means in a suitable position relative tothe user.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said smoothly curved free end is in theshape of a semi-circular are.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said connecting means comprises a wirerope passing through said conduit means and spliced at one end to saidcuff means and at the other end to said counterbalance means.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said counterbalance means comprises atube adapted :for selective addition and removal of weight increments toachieve a proper weight, said tube including fastening means forengaging said connecting means.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said cuff means comprises a leathercuff which is adjustable to the wrist size of the user and which has afastening means attached thereto to which said connecting means may besecured.

7. The device of claim 6 and in combination therewith holding meansconsisting of:

(a) a tube fixedly mounted upon a support, the inside diameter of saidtube receiving said conduit means therein;

(b) a threaded hole drilled into said tube; and

(c) a screw fitted to said hole for holding said conduit means at thedesired position relative to the user.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1907 Thornley27281 8/1936 Brooks.

1. A DEVICE FOR USE BY PERSONS LACKING NORMAL STRENGTH IN THEIR ARMS ANDHANDS TO ASSIST THEM TO EAT OR DRINK OR PERFORM OTHER SIMILAR OPERATIONSREQUIRING VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE ARM, COMPRISING: (A) CUFF MEANSADAPTED TO FIT ABOUT THE WRIST OF THE USER; (B) COUNTERBALANCE MEANS OFSUITABLE WEIGHT TO COUNTERBALANCE THE WEIGHT OF THE USER''S ARM AND HANDTO ASSIST THE USER IN HIS ARM AND HAND; (C) CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTINGTHE COUNTERBALANCE MEANS AND CUFF MEANS; AND (D) AN UPRIGHT CONDUITMEANS HAVING A SMOOTHLY CURVED FREE END FACING DOWNWARDLY AND THEREMAINDER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS BEING STRAIGHT, SAID CONNECTING MEANSEXTENDING IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS.